Don’t worry about the end . . .

It will arrive, regardless of your worry

Corey King

One day the world will end. Will the world end today? Tomorrow? Within our lifetime? I’m fairly certain it will not end anytime soon. People have been paranoid about the world coming to an end since there have been people to ponder such things. It’s a great human fear that is like our fear of death, only it feels more like the last great death.

This is because we humans are concerned with one thing over all – ourselves. In our selfish egos we believe (or hope) that the world’s end will be some great universal catastrophe. But I’m certain many worlds in this universe of ours have expired without much else noticeably changing. Yet if we look out at the stars tonight, not a single birth or death of a star (never mind some tiny little planet) will be noticed by us or anyone else who is not directly connected to the event. Our world will expire in a similar way. The only people who will mark that monumental date in human history will be the humans who at that moment will cease to have a history.

Now, of course some may say that if given enough time and willpower, humanity can move off this planet and maybe beyond this solar system. But nothing lasts forever. Besides, what we are really concerned about is the end of the human race. The death of the planet is not really what we’re concerned with when we talk about the end of the world; we’re actually worried only about ourselves, beyond all other life in the universe.

Not to be the bearer of bad news, but all things that have a beginning also have an end, and anything that has come into existence will eventually cease to exist. Sadly or gladly, the universe, like a new born baby, approaches death from the moment it first came to be. Perhaps things are reborn, perhaps not, but the point remains — the human race will not go on forever. It can’t, not as we exist now, anyway. Humanity is by far the most destructive life form on the Earth; and like a virus overtaking a human body, the world will eventually have to eject us from our place in the universe or risk itself instead. Sadly, like all things in nature, the destructiveness within us all is here to stay and is necessary to what it means to be human. We can fight against this element as individuals and as communities, but, like a dark family secret, it will inevitably resurface.

Therefore, we should not concern ourselves with the end of the world. What’s the point? Like your own death, there is nothing you can do to stop it. By the nature of the term apocalypse, no one survives. Those who don’t understand the nature of the universe will build their bunkers and seal themselves in. But when the real end comes no one survives.

Do what you can. Work to survive and extend the life of yourself and our species as long as you can, but don’t dwell or lose sleep over concerns for the end — the day for you will come just as the day will come for us all.

What you need to do is end your concerns for the end by spending the time you have pursing the things that matter. Don’t waste time on money or fame, as these things die, too. Live your life without regret and search yourself and the world for what appears essential. Pursue universal concepts. Seek self-fulfilment and enlightenment. Look for love and passion. Live in emotion and make every moment count. How many hours a week do you spend watching television or shopping? How much time is wasted doing a job you hate or writing a pointless assignment? Stop. Stop now! If you’re so concerned with the end, why are you sliding through time on addictions, habits, and social obligations? Stop!

Live as if the end is near, as if your only concern is the pursuit of truth and happiness. If you do these things then I suspect the end won’t concern you because you’ve done the best with the time you have. And if there is an eternal soul to save, you’ll have saved it. Sleep easy knowing you’re living at your best. Nothing can avert the end, but we can live with the highest values in mind.

Corey King is a third-year film and philosophy student at the University of Manitoba.